What?s wrong with Nest Cam?
You?ve heard of Google?s Nest Cam product line if you?ve been following security camera products at all. You?ll find a solid array of high-en indoor and outdoor cameras with good specs on the Google store. All of these products can brag about their superior 4K sensors and HDR video quality. As you?d expect, these cameras also integrate seamlessly with Google?s smart home ecosystem including their locks and alarm systems. That being said, why would someone be looking at Nest Cam alternatives?
The number one reason why people should care about the best Nest alternative camera is the cost. Nest Cam Indoor and Nest Cam Outdoor both sell for $199 while Nest Cam IQ Indoor is $299 and the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is going for a whopping $399. Combine that with the cost of Nest Aware. Even though a month of Nest Aware is free with a new camera, it?s going to add up quickly. The cheapest plan is $5 a month and the most pricey is $30 a month.
The price should be worth it considering the quality of the service though, right? Maybe not, many users have reported occasional connection issues and trouble accessing the live stream. Users also complain about the cameras sometimes going offline and simply not working. Add in the vulnerabilities to hacking and there?s plenty to complain about with Nest Cams.
SimCam 1S ? Best Nest Cam IQ Alternative without subscription
SimCam 1S is one of Nest Cam?s top competitors. Although it has similar abilities to Nest Cam, it?s only $129. PC Magazine said, ?You?ll get many of these same features with the Nest Cam IQ Indoor camera, but it?s almost twice the price and many of its features require a Nest Aware subscription.? For a much lower price, SimCam 1S delivers AI motion detection similar to what the Nest Cam can do. It can detect persons, faces and movement just as well.
However, it does all of this locally instead of using a cloud platform. It records all of the video files locally. This system allows SimCam 1S to overcome Nest?s performance and reliability issues. Like Nest Cam, SimCam 1S integrates with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and IFTTT. Regarding the image quality, Nest Cam has the edge due to HDR but SimCam 1S?s starlight night vision video is impressive.
EufyCam 2 ? the Best Wireless Option
The charging technology leader, Anker, also provides a security camera solution called eufyCam 2. It has a price point similar to Google?s, but it provides the 1080p HD video quality you?d expect. By far the coolest feature about this camera is that it lasts a full year on one battery charge. Most other cameras either plug into an outlet or have a battery that only lasts a half the time. Like the SimCam 1S, eufyCam 2 also boasts high-quality low-light and night recording. It?s also built to be durable in all types of weather conditions ? even rain and snow!
When it comes to AI, eufyCam 2 has basic human detection. However, they?re lacking any real facial recognition abilities. While at one point this feature was supported, it seems to have fallen to the wayside. Most users probably haven?t noticed though. The facial recognition wasn?t anything to write home about.
Arlo Ultra ? Image quality even better than Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
A single Arlo Ultra will set you back $399.99. Their online store also has better deals if you?re looking to buy several cameras, though. For example, you can get a 3 camera system for only $799.99. Again, we?ve got a solid person and pet detection and integration with smart home systems like Google Home. The Arlo Ultra and Google Nest have impressive motion tracking software. Arlo AI features include auto-zoom and tracking comparable to Google?s, and you?ll find Nest?s package delivery alerts here. Although both of these 8-megapixel cameras have HDR, the Arlo Ultra also boasts 4K video compared to Nest?s 1080p.
The primary drawback of the Arlo Ultra is an online subscription model like Nest Aware. For 30 days of 2K quality, you?ll be paying $2.99 a month, and for 4K quality, you?ll be paying $4.99 a month. Once again, if you?ve got a few cameras, Arlo offers bundled deals here too. While their subscription plan is going to cost a bit compared to others, it?s still way cheaper than Google?s plans.
Ring Stickup Cam ? the Cheapest Alternative to Nest Cam
Another popular security camera company that you may have heard of is Ring ? most known for their doorbell products. They have a wide array of different cameras inside and outside the home. The Ring Stickup Cam is probably the most similar to the other cameras we?ve talked about. There are battery and plug-in styles, both costing only $99, that can be easily mounted to walls and ceilings.
Don?t be fooled though, this little camera records in 1080p and also has great low-light and nighttime quality. Users love the mobile app and features of Ring?s subscription plan, Ring Protect. While the premium plans come in $3 and $10 monthly packages, there?s also a free tier with limited features. It won?t record any video, but it will provide mobile alerts and two-way talk. This camera also works with Echo devices and other services as you should have come to expect.
You can?t go wrong with any of them
As you may know, there are many way cheaper security cameras out there. But the above 4 brands are the ones we think can go head-to-head competition with Nest Cam. First, SimCam 1S is an affordable option with all of the smart features you?d expect from a high-end security camera. It has great facial recognition and AI detection software, and having all of your videos stored locally is also great. Second, EufyCam 2 has an awesome battery and great durability for a price close to the Nest Cam?s cost. Third, Arlo Ultra is at the same price level as Nest Cam but provides a better image quality. Finally, Ring has a very cheap option with the Ring Stickup Cam. It is surprisingly high-quality for the price and can be mounted almost anywhere.
With so many great options, users shouldn?t have trouble finding cheaper and better cameras than Nest Cam. While I?d recommend the SimCam 1S first, it all comes down to what features the user values the most.
